Heat of the Moment
by VarekaiSoleil
Summary: [ONESHOT] Soon enough is never soon enough when awaiting something or someone which is essential to the essence of one's self. When Marie was left broken hearted, he wasted not a moment. [All OC, TERRIBLE SUMMARY]


**-Heat of the Moment-**

Soon enough,

is _never_ soon enough

when awaiting something

-or someone-

which is **essential** to the essence of one's self.

For without such, one can only continue on as

**less** than **whole**.

It is one's own _imperative_ responsibility

to execute all actions

within the boundaries of his or her ability

to ensure the bond between such essentials to self-essence

**is never severed**.

For when an individual fails

to remain tied to these key factors,

their very being,

_in the state of who they truly are_,

is** threatened**.

* * *

She sat alone in the dimly lit ferry, nothing but the low rumble to keep her mind off him. Even the extremely bothersome noise was unable to do this. Her eyes burned with the salty intensity of tears being held behind her lashes. She glanced up to a group of girls her age, subconsciously lowering the brim of her cadet cap to hide her quivering lip beneath its shadow.

Her quiet, gentle sobbing subsided as she turned her eyes out the window to the island. She slipped on her hoodie and stood as the ferry docked. A woman in uniform put into place a platform, and she stumbled off the boat.

* * *

He sat on a wooden bench bolted to the dock, looking off into the sunset. She had called to inform him of her arrival. As he heard the boat screeching against the rubber buoys, he turned to see her step off the boat and onto the dock. To hide his eagerness, he strolled coolly to meet her. He noticed her crying.

"Kairi…" He quietly said her name as he reflexively pulled her tight into his arms. He faced down, pressing his lips against the top of her head; a gesture known only to him, as his long brown hair fell all around his face like a curtain. She muffled her sobs in his chest.

"Oh, Cloud…" After a moment of silence, he began to walk her to his cottage. Even after they were through the door, the silence lingered until he poured her hot chocolate and sat beside her. She continued.

"We've never fought before… and our first fight ends like this…" Cloud had already talked to Riku. He knew that he and Kairi had had an argument, and the result was devastating to the lovers.

* * *

**In the heat of their dispute, Riku had told Kairi that he wanted time away from her. She immediately burst into tears of despair, disbelief, and devastation. She had loved him like no other, and she was to him as the Sun is to the daytime- there could not exist one without the other. Although their love had welded them together for so long, they were now apart. **

**Cloud, on the other hand, had secretly loved Kairi for the past year. Despite the fact that she belonged to his best friend, he longed to hold her and love her as he saw Riku do many a night. Alas, he had contented himself with their close friendship, because it was below him to betray Riku. The sympathy and caring comfort he showed to her now was genuine, but he could not help but feel as if this was an opportunity to express himself to her.

* * *

  
**

By the time Kairi was done with her cocoa, she had subdued her sobbing to sniffles and tearstains.

"Kairi… you don't need to feel this way… He'll realize his mistake, I promise." With no response, Cloud did what he was known to do best: digress. "Look, go put on a swimsuit. We'll go to the hot tub tonight, that'll relax you." He smiled and gently patted her shoulder. She smiled at this and nodded.

* * *

Slowly, Kairi dipped a toe into the singeing water of the hot tub. Cloud slid right in, making himself comfortable. She inched in next to him, and there they sat in silence for several moments.

Kairi sighed deeply.

"Kairi…" Cloud began. "Do you love him?" The only response was a sob, precursor to more tears.

"No no no no no… Don't cry. But do you?" He asked again.

She nodded slowly. "Yeah… I… I really do." Cloud looked up to the stars. He was startled by a head leaning on his chest. He looked down at her, wrapping his arm around her bundled, fragile figure. Her bunch of hair was tied up, and cooled his arm as she leaned into him more. They both looked up at the stars.

Her eyes drifted shut with thoughts of Riku. The wonderful times they shared; every kiss, every touch, every glance from across the room, overflowing with passion. This passion had only masked their true feelings, feelings that dug down and became fiery like the core of the Earth itself.

She sucked in the cool, crisp night air. Before she could release it, a soft pair of lips hindered her breath. Slightly startled at first, she gave in and gently formed her lips against his. Images of Riku raced viciously through her mind, and she began to deepen the kiss, not realizing that her lover was not the one on the receiving end.

Slowly, Cloud pulled away from her, and her eyes opened. She looked at him, utterly confused, until reality faded into view and she realized the intensity of the situation.

There was no way out now. And there was no way to keep this a secret.

**Less** than **whole**.

Their very being,

_in the state of who they truly are_,

is** threatened**.

She didn't know how to react. Her loneliness and despair that were bottled up inside her had been released with the swiftness of that one kiss. She should not… she could not… she _would not… _She mustn't give in to the short-term relief that Cloud's gentle lips were bringing to her burdened mind. It was against every moral fiber of her being… and yet as he leaned in again, she found herself relaxing into his arms and meeting his lips a second time, now with returned feeling.

They parted once more. She was now resting on his lap, her knees pulled up to her, leaning on his chest.

"Finally," Cloud breathed. She looked up at him, confused. "I've been waiting for this… for the past year…"

Still entangled in her emotions and thoughts, his words made little sense to her. "Waiting for what exactly? For… me?" She questioned to clarify.

"For this…" He kissed her again. "And this…" Again… "And this… this… this… and…" He kissed her over and over, between words and breaths, with increased passion. His tongue pleaded passage through her lips, and she willingly allowed him.

Then it hit her.

She jerked away from him. "I _cannot _do this!" She cried. "This is so wrong!"

"After waiting so long for you, this could be anything but wrong…" He leaned in again.

"STOP!" She demanded. "Cloud, stop it! Cloud Aric…" Her voice threatened.

"Oh no, God forbid you use my middle name…" He teased sarcastically. Once more he locked his lips onto hers.

"You… better… not…" She tried to push him off, but he held her tighter until she relaxed and gave in once more to her this love-drunk feeling that she could not avoid.

She missed Riku. She thought of Riku. She _loved _Riku. And for this moment, however long it lasted, Cloud _was_ Riku.

* * *

Notes- Cliffy… in a way. Tell me what you think, as readers, because anyone who writes knows that as an author, by the end of a story it's hard to judge your own writing. R+R! By the way, the beginning lines are an insight to Cloud's feelings, because you don't get much out of him in the actual story.

-VarekaiSoleil


End file.
